3 Maccabees 3:14-16

Common English Bible

¹⁴ After our campaign against Asia Minor came to a successful conclusion, as you yourselves are aware, with the gods fighting alongside us, ¹⁵ we thought that we should care for the nations inhabiting Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, not with the violence of the spear but with fairness and much kindness, eagerly treating them well. ¹⁶ After we had distributed generous funds to the temples in every city, we proceeded also to Jerusalem. We went up to honor the temple of those wretched people who never cease from their folly.